Young single mom looking to move to south florida (West Palm Beach: apartments, rentals)

[Amorales27]

I am a 27 y/o single mom with an almost 5 year old and 18 month old toddler, no pets. we currently live in southeast Michigan.

My plan is to move to south florida in a few years or so with my two kids. My ideal place would be a family oriented town, close-ish to the beach, diverse (we are Hispanic) with good elementary schools. Where we currently live now it's basically a low key apartment, so I wouldn't mind looking for a place down there that's not super fancy but safe and family friendly. I know some posts on here say things about different parts of south florida that vary in many ways in lifestyle and affordability. I guess to answer any questions about what I consider comfortable/livable, I'll share this:
When moving to Florida, it wouldn't inconvenience me if some of the people can't speak English perfectly or at all (I'm Hispanic and have lived in Mexican and Latino communities all my life), i speak Spanish and English and some indigenous Mexican language. That aside, some things that may be uncomfortable or unusual to the average "middle or upper class" American probably wouldn't be that strange or different to me. I'm not talking about gangbangers or dangerous situations but more so just culture and differences in ways of life, community, work environment, social aspect etc. We feel more comfortable in these communities as these "differences" are familiar to me and the way I've grown up. I draw the line however, between a somewhat decent area and those thar are violent/unsafe. Yes, I know how to be on the street and who/what to look out for in order to survive. I know what living with absolutely nothing but roaches, countless people crammed in tiny space, and constant violence means. That put aside my kids, by the grace of god have never grown up that way and I don't plan to raise them in that environment.

I make a decent amount of money by cleaning houses on my own after years of working for a company. I strtaed started gaining clientele quickly and have confidence that I can do the same in FL. Its something that i take pride in doing and we live comfortably, not payvheck to paycheck. Again, this us michigan, so it may be very different down there. I've started putting away savings every month as well, so hopefully it would be as hard adjusting.

In conclusion, I'm not looking for a fancy home and elegant lifestyle. On the contrary, I don't want a community that's violent and unsafe for my family. I'm not into night clubs and the foodie scene. Simply a nice town that's kid friendly with good schools and commutable to larger areas for work. Being a 30 or 40 minute drjve to the ocean is a desirable but not a must. So perhaps something in a lower-middle class diverse community? From reading threads on here it seems like the cost of housing is definitely higher and for obvious reasons (compared to icebox Michigan). I also wanted to add that I've had family in that general area so I've visited frequently before, which is why I love it so much. They have since moved out of state, so temporarily staying somewhere isn't anoption.
That being said I honestly don't know much about what to look for and where to look for it. There's my personal pros and cons and i would appreciate this info for serveral towns and communities. We're looking to start off in an apartment and move into a home down the line.
I've heard that Boynton beach is not as expansive as some other areas like Jupiter but there are some dangerous parts. I've also read good things about Lantana. I've seen posts referencing differences in city names like Jupiter vs. Jupiter beach, the eastern vs western parts of cities and towns, etc. I'm new to all if this.

Please let me know your thoughts, ideas and insight on what may be a good option for me and my kids. Excuse the lengthiness and or typos in my post.
Thanks in advance!

[SoFLBreeze]

Hello there! Sounds like a gal with a plan! Where did your family live when they were in the area that you liked?? West Lake Worth is nice, as is pretty much west anything these days...the westward expansion has opened some great communities. Feel free to send me a direct message with any questions- here to help out a fellow mamma!

[ByeByeLW]

I agree. Lake Worth is one of the less expensive places that is also close to the beach. It’s very Latina-friendly! You would find a good support system in LW.

[Amorales27]

Wow!! Thank you so much for these responses. I'll give it a look. My family lived in the West Palm beach area. I love the people and atmosphere of florida. I'm aware the summers are like winters for us here in the north. But it's do able. Are there any apt complexes that are nice and deftly priced in west LW?

[Amorales27]

I would love lake worth by the sound of it. What are the jobs like? Is there an easy commute? How is the size of the town (more city like, vs suburban or small town)? I'm looking to get an apartment that's affordable enough to be safe, within my budget range until I can settle into a house of our own. Also, what are the school systems like? Elementary up to high school? And thank you, I would love mama advice

[MN2FL]

We just moved to Florida in June from Minnesota. So..... my advice is not nearly as complex as those that have lived here longer, we are just getting to know the area! Regardless I’ll share what I’ve learned thus far.

We ended up moving to Wellington. We did so 100% for the schools. It is very suburban. (Very!!!) but I feel confident about our safety, there are tons of parks and my kids are happy. Not sure if we will buy a home here but it is fine for now. Rent is expensive, (1600 for 3 bed apt) but our place is nice with a pool and tons of amenities. We are a bilingual family and my husband is Mexican. We find that we can still speak Spanish every where we go, have found some great Latino bakeries nearby and can quickly drive to downtown west palm beach for more activities.

My advice, as a mother, is to start with the school for your kids and go from there. Schools here are drastically different from the Midwest. I was prepared for that, and am an educator myself, but am still shocked by the difference in pay, resources and curriculum. Florida gives schools a report card- find one that is at least a B. Identify a few good schools in areas that you like and good neighborhoods will follow. Your home will be zoned to specific school.

Wellington is 30 minutes to a number of beaches we love. We have been to the beach at least once a week since we have moved. New to the area we like to tryout different ones. To us, unless you are actually walking distance to the ocean, you still have to drive, park, pack up all your stuff regardless. So we do not mind being a little more inland.

Lastly,depending on your language level-particularly if you speak an indigenous dialect, don’t forget to check out the school district. Interpreters in the more obscure languages are high in demand.

Buena Suerte!

[Amorales27]

Thank you
I'm still looking into both Wellington, lake worth, and lantana. I'm still saving for now so the move may not be for another year or so. For now my budget range is 1000-1300 and 13 is stretching it. I was looking online on a site called trulia or something like that where they referenced some good elementary schools in the lake worth area.

Also, any big adjustments when it comes from moving from the Midwest to south Florida? I know we may be homesick and such, but what other main differences are there to keep an eye for?

[newtovenice]

Originally Posted by Amorales27

Thank you
I'm still looking into both Wellington, lake worth, and lantana. I'm still saving for now so the move may not be for another year or so. For now my budget range is 1000-1300 and 13 is stretching it. I was looking online on a site called trulia or something like that where they referenced some good elementary schools in the lake worth area.

Also, any big adjustments when it comes from moving from the Midwest to south Florida? I know we may be homesick and such, but what other main differences are there to keep an eye for?

You will need a bigger budget. FL is expensive, for that price you will be lucky to find a 1 bedroom in a decent area. 2 bedroom? Most likely not. Look at rental prices now, with the assumption that they will only increase by the time you actually move, and increase every year thereafter as rent never goes down.

[TykishaGrant]

I have lived in east West Palm Beach and now live in West Lake Worth. Both locations have their pluses. But I agree wholeheartedly with the other post about building your search for a home around the best schools. That should be your #1 priority. This is one of the main reasons we moved to West Lake Worth. All the schools in this area (from elementary to high school) are A-rated. This link https://arcweb.palmbeach.k12.fl.us/addresslookup/ will allow you to see what schools that particular address is zoned for. You can also learn all about the schools in Palm Beach County from the website www.palmbeachschools.org. In general schools in Jupiter, Wellington, West Lake Worth/Boynton and Boca are the best. We also have magnet programs where any child in the county can apply regardless of home address and many of those programs are very good, too. You are smart to start planning early.

[Amorales27]

Thanks everyone!! It's a work in progress, but I have a lot of people backing me and, more importantly the faith in myself and motivations that have gotten me to points that I never dreamed of. I've been doing some quiet browsing, more so for brainstorming about areas and apartments or rentals. We're thinking about taking a vacation this coming December which will give me an up close perspective.